Oncology Rehabilitation for Stomach Cancer

Stomach Cancer Treatment: Oncology Rehabilitation

Ensuring patients maintain some level of physical activity is a core tenet of our approach to stomach cancer treatment at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA). Our rehabilitation services team can develop a customized, physical fitness regimen for you to help reduce stress, prevent fatigue and improve overall quality of life during your stomach cancer treatment and beyond.

Exercise—even minimal physical exertion—increases heart rate and muscle flexion, while boosting your body’s tolerance to conventional stomach cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation. Daily exercise programs give you physical control over your condition as you work to improve your strength and health, instilling a powerful motivation and drive to achieve optimal wellness. Exercise has also been shown to provide a valuable outlet for stress and anxiety.

Equipped with an integrated team of physical therapists (PTs), occupational therapists (OTs), speech and massage therapists, the rehabilitation services team strives to help patients realize the many physical and psychological benefits that physical fitness can bring to stomach cancer treatment.

Therapy highlights include the following:

• Evaluation: The rehabilitation team will conduct a thorough physical evaluation of you, prior to initiating physical therapy during your stomach cancer treatment. Part of this initial evaluation consists of a functional assessment, measuring your ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs).
  
  Tailored to provide you with the right amount of exercise, our physical therapy exercise programs combine range-of-motion and flexibility training with other light activities, such as resistance and strength training. Designed for stomach cancer patients capable of maintaining independent self-care, these programs will help you identify and address strength and stamina deficiencies before your fatigue increases to debilitating levels.
  • Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion: This helps therapists determine the intensity of exercise you can tolerate, based on increased heart rate, respiration or breathing rate, sweating and muscle fatigue. The scale ranges from 6 (no exertion at all) to 20 (maximum exertion). Since the condition of each person is unique, the Borg system measures “exercise” as any activity that increases heart rate. Most people achieve 65 to 75 percent of their maximum heart rate during exercise.
  • Flexibility program: Stretching is an effective way to relieve joint stiffness and pain, while improving your overall mobility and range of motion. The benefits of stretching include enhancement of performance in everyday activities; improvement of mobility and independence; improvement and maintenance of posture and muscle balance; injury prevention; and, promotion of physical and mental relaxation.
• Manual therapy: Massage therapy is one means of manual muscle therapy offered at CTCA. If you require massage therapy as part of your stomach cancer treatment, you will first obtain a referral from either a physical or occupational therapist. Our rehabilitation services manual therapies, including Swedish massage, reflexology, lymphedema massage and myofascial release.
• Occupation therapy: Occupational therapists deliver quality-of-life programs to help you achieve and maintain preferred levels of physical independence. By studying you as you interact with your day-to-day surroundings and perform activities of daily living, occupational therapists assess physical mobility and will teach you how to address, and adapt to, any physical limitations resultant from stomach cancer treatment. Quality-of-life programs include showering, dressing, eating and toileting.
• Speech pathology: Speech pathologists provide a dual role in the rehabilitation services department, teaching speech therapy and addressing any swallowing problems that may limit your ability to consume food. If left untreated, an improper swallowing mechanism can cause aspiration, which occurs when food falls into the lung. Speech pathologists will work with Nutrition and Food Services to thicken or puree food to the consistency you may require.

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